Abortion Groups Alarmed at Growing Pro-Life Support

Nancy Keenan, leader of the nation's largest pro-choice organization, announced this week that's she's stepping down amid concerns of a lack of abortion support among young voters.

Pro-life groups see the decision as proof of a growing revolution against abortion in America.

"The actual abortions, babies losing their lives, will probably decrease in this generation," said Chuck Donovan, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List Education Fund.

He added that Americans can expect to see more activism as young people mobilize.

"And I hope to see that it will be both political ... and that it will occur in the medical field," Donovan said. "It will occur among young people who counsel each other when they get into situations where they might contemplate abortion. I think it's just radically optimistic."

That's good news for the pro-life movement but not for pro-choice groups like the National Abortion Rights Action League.

The group's own research showed a new trend: young, pro-life voters feel much more intensely about the abortion issue than young pro-choicers.

"You have to give them a little bit of credit for releasing this information. They're obviously alarmed," Donovan said.

The NARAL survey found that 51 percent of pro-life voters age 30 or younger feel abortion is a very important issue for them at the polls. Only 26 percent of pro-choice voters feel so intensely.

"We're basically seeing twice the intensity among pro-lifers than among young pro-choice voters," Donovan explained.

Pro-life voters are already making an impact at the polls. Donovan said pro-lifers were a crucial part of turning 15 state legislatures conservative in 2010, along with sweeping many Republican governors into office.

The result has been a huge wave of new anti-abortion laws across the U.S.

"The first quarter of 2012, 75 pro-life bills have made their way through at least one chamber of a state legislature," he explained.

Last year, 91 pro-life bills became law.

"These are really significant steps across the country," Donovan said. "I think you're seeing fatigue over the amount of violence and destruction that abortion wreaks upon women, upon families."

Donovan expects many more measures against abortion.

"Forty years down the road from the Roe v. Wade decision is that people still think it was the wrong decision," he explained.

"They want to be able to act and put limitations that actually protect the unborn and the mother," he said.

Donovan said he believes young pro-lifers and their intense feelings about abortion will make sure states continue the fight.